The Best Small TV

The best small TV for most people is the 32-inch TCL Roku. Since most 32-inch TVs are meant for a secondary room or to be very price conscious, this TCL set stands apart with its affordable price tag and integrated Roku functionality. As a result, it has the best smart features of any small TV and saves you the $50-plus that an external Roku box would cost. It even offers three HDMI ports, while most TVs in this size have two. The picture quality is good, and the value can’t be beat. TCL also offers three other variants on this set, the 3700, 3800, and the 3850. If you’re okay with the styling, go for whichever one is available at the lowest price.

Last Updated:
Seven months ago

We focused on testing 4K TVs in 2016, finding both the best set available and the ones to get on a budget. But if you’re looking for a 32-inch set that’s more affordable for a smaller room, we still think the TCL Roku is the best option for most people. Though we haven’t tested the Vizio D32-D1 yet, we think that model is your best bet if you’re willing to spend a bit more for a slightly better picture. We like Vizio TVs—we feature them in our other two guides—and we will be looking to call in the recently announced Vizio E32f-E1 as a possible pick when it begins shipping later this year.

One year ago:
We’ve condensed this guide to focus on what makes a great small TV, and how we test them. We think that the 32-inch TCL Roku is the best option of those we had the chance to test in 2015. For a slightly better picture, you might want to go for the Vizio E32-C1, but as we were unable to test it, that recommendation is based on Amazon feedback, other reviewers we trust, and our experience recommending pricier Vizio TVs. We were unable to fully test all the small TVs we wanted to in 2015, but we are working on a full update to this guide for late 2016.

Two years ago:
We’re still working on our in-depth reviews of small TVs, but we’re ready to share that the 32-inch TCL Roku is our preliminary pick based on our initial tests the TV reviews that have been published so far. For a slightly better picture, you might want to go for the Vizio E32-C1. This new pick may not be our final pick after we perform further testing.

Two years ago:
We are still waiting to test all the 32-inch models coming out this year before we update our pick. But if you want one right now we recommend the Sharp LC-32LE653U. It offers 1080p resolution, two HDMI inputs, Netflix, low lag for gaming, and a very accurate image right out of the box for $280. Reviews from Reference Home Theater and Reviewed.com find it to be a very good 32-inch TV and ahead of other models in that size.

Three years ago:
Updated TVs for 2015 are coming out earlier than usual, so we are putting this piece on wait status while we evaluate them. In addition, over the past few months the problems that had been affecting larger E-Series Vizio models have been reported in the 32-inch model as well. At the same time, other companies have seen their error rates get better, so we are no longer recommending you get the Vizio. If you don’t want to wait for the 2015 models to come out, the step-up Samsung UN32H5500 is a very good 32-inch TV.

Three years ago:
Samsung's privacy policy for Smart TVs originally warned users that when its voice recognition feature is enabled, TV voice commands and even some conversations could be picked up by the device and sent to a "third-party service" for speech-to-text conversion. After an outcry from privacy advocates and consumers in early February 2015, Samsung clarified their policy to say that it "will collect your interactive voice commands only when you make a specific search request ... by clicking the activation button" on the remote control.
If this still makes you uncomfortable, you can always turn off the TV's voice recognition feature. In the case of the UN32H5500, however, there is no voice recognition feature at all, so there's nothing to worry about.

Three years ago:
Samsung's privacy policy for Smart TVs warns users that when its voice recognition feature is enabled, TV voice commands, and even some conversations, may be picked up by the device and sent to a third-party service for speech-to-text conversion. If you're worried, you can always disable this by turning off the TV's voice recognition feature. Only some of the company's Smart TVs have this voice recognition feature; the UN32H5500 we recommend as our step-up choice does not.

Three years ago:
There are reports of the E-series shutting down randomly. It’s hard (if not impossible) to judge how many units are affected by this issue. If we go by Amazon reviews, approximately 38 of the 970 reviewers were affected. This is 4 percent. According to Consumer Reports, LCD TVs in general have a 3-5 percent problem rate, so this is in that range. Jump down to the Reported Issues section for more of our thoughts on this, and why we're not ready to change our pick just yet.

Three years ago:
We have a new step-up suggestion if you want to spend a bit more on a 32-inch TV: the Samsung UN32H5500. More about why we picked it here. We've also updated the What to Look Forward to section with two new smaller TVs with Roku functionality built in that are coming from HiSense and TCL.

Three years ago:
We've seen some user complaints on Amazon across all the smaller model sizes of the Vizio E-series (but mostly 40-inch and 42-inch) of the display powering down randomly or making strange sounds. We haven’t seen this ourselves, but we are working to try to find out more and whether it is a hardware or software problem, if it is still an issue in current units, and if there is a fix for it.

Most publications don’t take the time to evaluate small TVs, instead focusing all their efforts on high-end ones even though small TVs are what most people actually buy. For anyone seeking a 32-inch TV, out-of-the-box performance and value will be the most important components. While some TVs offer the controls for a professional calibrator like myself to get the best performance out of them, no one is going to spend $250 on a TV and then spend $350 on calibration. It has to perform well straight out of the box with little work. It also has to offer the best value, with great streaming options and plenty of inputs available without your having to buy another streaming dongle or HDMI splitter.

If you want better picture quality, the Vizio D32-D1 is our likely choice—though we haven't tested it yet.

If you want better picture quality, the Vizio D32-D1 is our choice for now. It features full 1080p resolution, but we don’t think you really need that in a TV this size. Integrated Netflix along with some other apps will handle lots of your streaming, but this assortment of apps lacks the depth of selection that Roku offers. With only two HDMI inputs on the D32-D1, you can’t connect as many devices as you can to the TCL set, but you are likely to get a slightly better image. We haven’t done any hands-on testing of this model, but we like Vizio sets, having chosen them for our best TV and 4K TV on a budget guides. Also, when the new Vizio E32f-E1 is available, we’ll look at testing that model.

Table of contents

Why you should trust me

I have been reviewing TVs, monitors, projectors, and other home theater equipment since 2008. I’m an ISF Level II–certified calibrator, so I can coax the best image possible out of a display, and I always have the objective data to back up my subjective opinion.

How we picked

No one bothers to review 32-inch TVs despite the fact that they’re the best-selling size in the industry. They aren’t the big, fancy models that sell magazines or drive Web traffic, and they usually lack whatever the brand-new feature of the year is for larger TVs. Even when people do review them, it’s almost always just a short, subjective review with no hard data at all behind it.

To fix this, I went to vendors and started to bring in as many 32-inch TVs to personally review as I could. I borrowed recent models from friends and family to get a good idea for baseline performance. I tested and evaluated a $300 TV just as thoroughly as I would a $3,000 TV to be certain which model out there is the best. If a model was essential to review but a review sample wasn’t to be found, I went out and bought it myself. And now someone spending $300 instead of $3,000 on a TV has the same quality of review available to them.

The best outside sources for small-TV reviews come from European websites such as HDTVtest and TrustedReviews. With smaller living spaces, people in Europe are more likely to turn to a 32-inch TV for their main set than people are in the US. Since European displays have to support different refresh rates (50 Hz versus 60 Hz for some content) and inputs (SCART) than American ones, the hardware isn’t exactly the same. However, the LCD panel itself and the pieces that directly relate to image quality are often identical, so reviews can serve to help you determine which units deserve a look.

For this guide, we consider a “small” TV to be anything 32 inches or smaller. For many people, this might be a main TV, but for others it will be a secondary TV. If it is your main TV, the price increase to move up to a 40-inch or even a 50-inch display isn’t that significant and, in our opinion, worth doing if your space can hold it.

If you are confined by space but still want the best TV you can get in this size, we will cover that too. We are assuming that most people are after a TV with a good picture and (more important) a good value.

The only technology you will see in a 32-inch TV is an LCD set with either an LED or CCFL backlight. LEDs are slightly more power-efficient and can produce a thinner display, while CCFLs are usually less expensive.

For a 32-inch TV, a 720p model is likely going to be fine. To verify this, I set up a 720p display directly next to a 1080p display, calibrated both, and sent the same image to them from an Oppo BDP-103D Blu-ray player. All processing was disabled, so both displays were receiving the exact same signal.

Sitting only 5 feet from the displays, I could make out an advantage for 1080p, but it wasn’t huge.

Sitting only 5 feet from the displays, I could make out an advantage for 1080p, but it wasn’t huge. While 720p looked like a slightly soft focus, 1080p was sharper. If they aren’t side by side or if you are farther than 5 feet away, you can’t tell the difference. Far more noticeable are displays with incorrect colors or poor viewing angles. I would pay an extra $50 for a display with accurate colors and grayscale before I would to move from 720p to 1080p.

So what should a 32-inch display cost? Manufacturers are focusing on newer, larger, Ultra HD displays, so right now you can spend as little as $170 and still get something great. If you really want 1080p, you’ll probably end up spending between $200 and $250.

Don’t look at refresh rates on a 32-inch TV. Virtually no one offers a true 120 Hz panel unless you are spending a lot of money on a TV. Many vendors use tricks that they claim make the panel effectively a 120 Hz panel and then label the product as 120 Hz. Usually such tricks involve flashing the backlight instead of always having it on. Sometimes this is helpful, sometimes it isn’t; it really isn’t worth paying extra for.

Lots of TVs also offer sound modes to provide better-quality audio. Unfortunately, such models are also using tricks, as these tiny displays can’t overcome the laws of physics. Making bigger sounds requires more surface area, and manufacturers are moving toward smaller, thinner TVs, not larger ones. If you really want better sound, you should pick up a soundbar; it will sound better and will also play back music from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

How we tested

I bring in every TV that I review and give it the same thorough review process. After initial setup, I evaluate and measure the preset picture modes using CalMAN version 5.2 software with an AJA T-Tap pattern generator, an X-Rite i1Pro spectrometer, and a SpectraCal C6 colorimeter. After determining the best preset image mode, I perform a full calibration on the TV, optimizing it for daytime and nighttime use. The more controls that are available, the longer this process takes, and the more improvement I can make.

If a set has integrated smart TV features, I see how well those perform compared with the ones available on a Roku.

Once the display is in its optimal state, I watch a variety of content, from test patterns to Blu-ray discs to TV and streaming content. I see how well the advanced features help or harm the image, and how good things look overall. I try to watch a wide variety of content, so if something excels at movies but falls short with sports, I will know. And if a set has integrated smart TV features, I see how well those perform compared with the ones available on a Roku.

Chris Heinonen writes about home audio and video for The Wirecutter. He also writes reviews and runs Reference Home Theater. Previously he has contributed to Secrets of Home Theater, Electronic House, AnandTech, and HDGuru. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and spends his free time chasing after his sons and running.

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